My Account
Restore Rodney East (RRE) held a hui at the Warkworth Town Hall on April 30 for environmental community groups across Rodney.
The theme was Connect and Inspire, which around 130 people attended.
The RRE team wanted to encourage local groups to look up from the diligent day-to-day work that takes place across the rohe and think about the future of conservation, review where we are currently at with tackling predator control, and consider the tools and resources that might be available in the future.
It was especially meant to help us all to challenge our current thinking around how or if we might reach a predator free Aotearoa New Zealand by 2050.
Connect and Inspire was part of RRE’s ongoing programme of education and information events.
Attendees discussed the reality of achieving a predator free NZ by 2050, and even the most experienced attendees walked away with food for thought.
Supported by funding from Auckland Council, the event fielded five keynote speakers covering a range of topics, including the behaviour of introduced predators, new technologies in environmental management, and how to engage with communities over limiting the impact of cats on native biodiversity.
First up was Emeritus Professor Kim King, who is a world authority on mustelid behaviour. She provided an overview of how difficult it would be to achieve a pest free NZ if we continue our “kill ’em all” approach to pest eradication and fail to invest sufficiently in the science needed to disrupt the fertility of pests such as stoats and weasels.
Dr Stuart Ryan, of the Cacophony Project and managing director of 2040, outlined how artificial intelligence, such as that being developed within the ongoing Cacophony Project, will make a significant contribution to helping NZ meet its goals.
A key segment of the day was devoted to the issue of how cats, as NZ’s apex predators, would need to be better managed if we are to protect and restore our bird life.
Auckland Council biosecurity principal officer Dr Imogen Bassett and Predator Free NZ chief executive Jessi Morgan took the audience through some of the unique issues we face with cats here, noting that Australia had already moved well ahead of us in their introduction of controls. It was noted that, increasingly, society was beginning to recognise the need to take more responsibility for the behaviour of our favourite pets, especially the need to keep them home at night, while also taking a stronger stance on the removal of feral and wild cats from the environment.
Dr Bassett also gave an overview of how bio-controls were being explored that might have the potential to help control the worst of our weeds, such as privet, tradescantia, tobacco weed, ginger and so on. A range of bugs, beetles and moulds have been carefully evaluated over many years for their ability to impact on the health of these plants, particularly keeping in mind the need to avoid risk to local species.
Participants were then treated to a glimpse of how the evaluation of our waterways and harbour ecosystems could benefit from the use of artificial intelligence when it came to assessing the state of our environment.
Dr Stefano Schenone, from Auckland University and based at the Leigh Marine Research Laboratory, provided an overview of how new technologies such as those that can be deployed on drones and remote-controlled water vehicles, when combined with AI, can undertake large scale and complex surveys of areas such as Sandspit and Whangateau harbours in a fraction of the time taken by traditional methods.
The day was rounded off by Delma O’Kane, from Ngati Manuhiri, with an overview of the role of mana whenua in helping us to understand the cultural significance of our local area and how we can all engage together better to help each other in our drive to restore the mana of our environment.
Professor King then gave generously of her time and expertise, staying on for the next day to run a two-hour workshop on mustelid and rat behaviour for local trappers, followed by an afternoon with park rangers at the Tāwharanui sanctuary.
Restore Rodney East supports and empowers local community initiatives by providing skills, experience, leverage and resources to local environmental groups and their respective conservation projects. Its aim is to make a major contribution in helping ‘lift the tide’ for all groups, organisations and volunteers, assisting them to realise their potential for biodiversity across Rodney East, from Puhoi to Te Arai.
